Some female NT partners experience a decline in mental and physical health, wellbeing and quality of life, which they attribute to the symptom
expression of their partner’s AS. Feelings of loneliness, confusion, frustration, isolation and, at times, of ‘going insane’ are reported, as are
disorders of mood (e.g., depression and anxiety), problems with sexual intimacy and sexual activity, and other medical complaints. Reports that the
NT-AS intimate relationship is marred by the unwillingness or inability of their partner to engage in shared activities, to provide appropriate
emotional support, to effectively communicate, to reciprocate, or to be spontaneous or flexible in their beliefs and behaviours and to learn from
their mistakes, seem commonplace. These accounts also suggest that misunderstandings in communication are commonplace and empathy is often perceived
by the NT partner as non-existent. Problematic social lives, as well as hardships resulting from financial mismanagement or their AS spouse’s
inability to effectively engage in stable employment are also reported. P 96

e) Our mission at PhDinspecialEducation.com is to help educate people on the needs of children and adults enrolled in special needs education classes and the impact the disorder may have on families. Many resources for research projects are included here: 101 Noteworthy Sites on Asperger's and the Autism Spectrum: to view our article follow the link provided: http://phdinspecialeducation.com/autism-aspergers/

Elyse McNeil, BA, PGDipPsych, is currently completing MPsychClin at Bond University (completed in April 2014). Elyse has a strong interest in the area of adult
intimate relationships, eating disorders, gender and sexuality, and alternative approaches to therapy including mindfulness and energy psychology. She hopes
to continue to conduct research and engage in clinical practice that benefits under-researched, under-resourced, and disadvantaged groups of society.

g) Research subjects needed for investigation of relationship experiences of individuals with Autism and their partners By Dr Lisa Abel
and Dr Rebekah Doley, May, 2014 Research closed

i) Kim Bolling, Antioch University, New England, USA, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, is conducting a quantitative study of marital adjustment in couples in which one
(or both) partners have AS or ASD to examine the marital adjustment and satisfaction in the relationship.